Tuskegee Airmen

[Sir Creep 7,071]

I've posted about six Tuskegee Airmen over the past couple years. Wiki says they don't know how many there are remaining, but I think 35-40 is a fair guess. Anyway let the countdown begin. When they become rarer than hen's teeth we will get an accurate count. They should be in their very late 80s by now.

 

One of the original Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Thurston L. Gaines, Jr., died in California Saturday. He was 94.

Gaines, as one of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen, was one of the United State's first black military pilots. He flew a P-51 Mustang in 1945. In April 1945, Gaines was shot down over Germany and captured. He was held in German prisons until he was liberated in June of 1945 by Gen. Patton's division.

Gaines received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush in 2007. He also received the Purple Heart.

SC

http://www.12news.com/mb/news/local/arizona/tuskegee-airman-dr-thurston-l-gaines-jr-dies-at-94/382139657

[Sir Creep 7,071]

Thanks for reminding me 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Robert Martin, who said he flew '63 and a half' missions during World War II as part of the Tuskegee Airmen, having been shot down on the 64th mission, has died.  He was 99.

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/robert-martin-tuskegee-airman-who-flew-63-and-a-half-combat-missions-dies-at-99/2018/08/04/db678df4-9448-11e8-a679-b09212fb69c2_story.html?utm_term=.5b976373fa00

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Wallace Higgins, an original Tuskegee Airman who rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and earned the World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal and Army Good Conduct Medal, died August 22nd.  He was 92.

 

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/state-union-wally-higgins-original-tuskegee-airman-dies-at/article_c5bc7b2e-a747-11e8-b037-0f7487ce8f62.html

 

 

[drol 12,130]

So who are the surviving Tuskegee airmen? Here's a quick list:

 

*Gene Derricotte (1926)

*Alexander Jefferson (1921)

*Charles McGee (1919)

 

Not so many!

[Sir Creep 7,071]

13 hours ago, drol said:

So who are the surviving Tuskegee airmen? Here's a quick list:

 

*Gene Derricotte (1926)

*Alexander Jefferson (1921)

*Charles McGee (1919)

 

Not so many!

 

Source

[drol 12,130]

1 hour ago, Sir Creep said:

 

Source

Wikipedia.

[Sir Creep 7,071]

Thanks.  I’ll give it the credence it deserves.  

[drol 12,130]

7 minutes ago, Sir Creep said:

Thanks.  I’ll give it the credence it deserves.  

It probably deserves more credence than the 92 year old African American who casually claims to be a Tuskegee Airman before he dies. Those people are fully verified.

[Ulitzer95 12,844]

On 03/09/2018 at 16:45, drol said:

So who are the surviving Tuskegee airmen? Here's a quick list:

 

*Gene Derricotte (1926)

*Alexander Jefferson (1921)

*Charles McGee (1919)

 

Not so many!

No - those are the last three alive with their own Wikipedia pages (because they were notable in their own right). Nobody knows how many Tuskegee Airmen are still alive. More than likely one or two dozen. 

A quick Google of articles in the last 6 months about living T Airmen immediately returns more names, including Lemuel Arthur Lewie and Jack Lyle (both born around 1920).

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Wilfred DeFour, who served as an aircraft technician with the all-black Tuskegee Airmen, has died.  He was 100.

 

 (Edit: crossposted from World War II veterans thread)

 

https://apnews.com/ee73a624cf564eeab85d2a860d1e34f9?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

 

[JQW 288]

John 'Captain Jack' Lyle dead at 98

 

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/tuskegee-airman-john-captain-jack-lyle-dead-at-98-1.563534

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Robert T. McDaniel,  the last surviving Tuskegee Airman from Fort Worth, Texas, has died.  He was 96.  Aside from his military service, McDaniel was an educator with several academic degrees, having served as a school principal for 37 years.

 

http://www.fox4news.com/news/fort-worth-s-last-member-of-legendary-tuskegee-airmen-dies-at-96

 

 

 

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Granville Coggs, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen from 1943 to 1946, has died.  He was 93.

 

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/granville-coggs-a-tuskegee-airman-and-renaissance-man-dies-at-93-1.580579

 

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Robert Friend, among the few remaining Tuskegee Airmen and who flew 142 combat missions in World War II, has died.  He was 99.

 

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/06/21/one-of-the-last-surviving-tuskegee-airmen-dies-surrounded-by-family/

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Mack Gilbert Jr, a Tuskegee Airman and aeronautic engineer, died June 24th. He was 95.  (Item published July 10th)

 

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2019/07/10/west-covinas-mack-gilbert-jr-a-tuskegee-airman-engineer-dies/

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Pierce T. Ramsey Sr., a flight officer with the Tuskegee Airmen who later founded his own real estate company, died June 15th.  He was 93. (Item published July 11th)

 

https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/pierce-ramsey-ted-tuskegee-airman-real-estate-company-20190711.html

 

[Ulitzer95 12,844]

On 05/09/2018 at 23:23, Ulitzer95 said:

No - those are the last three alive with their own Wikipedia pages (because they were notable in their own right). Nobody knows how many Tuskegee Airmen are still alive. More than likely one or two dozen. 

A quick Google of articles in the last 6 months about living T Airmen immediately returns more names, including Lemuel Arthur Lewie and Jack Lyle (both born around 1920).

 

We appeared to have missed this... Lewie died in April as per a quick Google search.

 

Surely there can’t be many left.

[alt obits guy 3,385]

9 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

 

We appeared to have missed this... Lewie died in April as per a quick Google search.

 

Surely there can’t be many left.

Probably not.  Unfortunately, deaths don't seem to get reported nationally, only locally.  Most of the names I've added have been found through Google searches for Tuskegee Airmen.   Yes, Lemuel Lewie has indeed passed, having died April 14th.

 

https://www.baltimoresun.com/obituaries/bs-md-ob-lemuel-lewie-20190419-story.html

 

 

 

[Sir Creep 7,071]

 

 

“The unit, comprising the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Forces....”

 

well FINALLY a definition of Tuskegee Airmen.  I say that cuz I never understand why the media can’t get a handle on ‘how many are left’, the ballpark figures are all over the place.  Seems pretty simple.  Won’t be exact but a couple years ago still saying over 100 of them is pure bollocks.  Gotta be less than 20.

SC

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Edward Johnson, a Tuskegee Airman who served as a ground instructor during World War II, died in June.  He was 103.

 

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/black-history/thank-you-for-your-service-tuskegee-airman-dies-at-103/85-b0418843-e3d6-4b20-afeb-fb416270312f

 

[drol 12,130]

Tuskegee Airman Leslie Edwards has died of ALS at 95.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/09/one-of-the-last-tuskegee-airman-dies-at-95/

[Sir Creep 7,071]

On 26/09/2019 at 11:48, drol said:

Tuskegee Airman Leslie Edwards has died of ALS at 95.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/09/one-of-the-last-tuskegee-airman-dies-at-95/

 

Nowhere in the obit dies it say how many are left.  It’s a specious headline. 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Roy Richardson, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen from Ohio, died in early December at age 90.

 

https://fox8.com/2019/12/06/local-tuskegee-airmen-dies-peacefully-at-90/

 

[alt obits guy 3,385]

Theodore Johnson, a documented original Tuskegee Airman who was active until the day before he passed, has died. He was 96.

 

https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-based-tuskegee-airman-passes-away-at-the-age-of-96/273-401b91a5-a128-40ed-a7be-f7f2dea404cc